Weight Loss Workouts

Working out is an important and key step to losing weight, when combined with a healthy lifestyle and plan it can be very effective. Now it is important to do the right exercises, so I have listed some great ones you can try.

Lunges

Lunges are very effective for weight loss as it works multiple muscles at once.

• Stand with your feet slightly apart and place your hands on your waist or you could use weights for extra burn, then take a step forward with your right leg
• Keep your spine straight, lower the body so that the front leg and back leg form a 90- degree angle
• Stay in the same position for a few seconds, then bring your leg bag to the start
• Repeat with the left leg and repeat 10 times on both sides
• Do a total of 4 sets

Kettlebell swings

Kettlebells are effective as they engage the whole body and are high intensity so ideal for calorie burning and weight loss.

• Stand with your feet waist-width apart, grip the kettlebell with both hands directly in front of you
• Slightly squat, press your hips forward and swing the kettlebell upwards and lower your arms.
• Complete 4 sets of 10 swings

Jump Rope (skipping)

You may remember this from school days and believe it or not it is a great toner for the body and for weight loss.

• Hold the ends of the rope whilst ensuring the handles are in line with your shoulders
• Have your feet together, with your hands holding each end of the rope and elbows n towards your ribs
• Swing the rope over your head and jump with both feet together, remember to just jump when the rope is near your feet.
• Jump for about a minute and complete 4 sets

Mountain Climbers

It is optional to use resistance bands either way mountain climbers will help burn calories and the leg motion helps to target the hamstrings, butt and obliques.

• Loop the middle of the band around a post and get onto the floor in a plank position facing the opposite direction from the post.
• Alternately bring the right and left knee in towards the chest ensuring the bent leg does not touch the floor.
• Repeat for about a minute with 20 second rests in between
• Do 4 sets

Squats

Another familiar one to some, squats help to engage the core and the lower body.

• Start with your feet waist apart, your arms to either sides or holding weights.
• Keep your weight in your heels and begin lowering your legs, raising your arms in front of you.
• Keep your back straight, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor whilst keeping your knees in line to your toes.
• Steadily rise back to a standing position
• Repeat 4 sets of 15 reps

Burpees

Burpees target your chest, core and legs. It makes you feel the burn and helps to build lean muscle.

• Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart with your arms at the side. Push the hips back, bend your legs and lower into a squat
• Place your hands on the floor in front of you and shift your weight onto them. Jump back slightly whilst landing on your feet in the plank position.
• Jump forward so your feet land just outside your hands
• Reach up with your hands and jump into the air
• Lower back into a squat for the next rep and repeat 8-10 times, complete 4 sets.

Explosive lunges

Explosive lunges are a type of high intensity workout, these will help you to lose those extra calories.

• Start with the feet together whilst your hands are on your hips
• Bend forwards so your right leg is at a 90-degrees angle. Jump whilst changing your legs mid- air, end with the left leg plunged forward.
• Repeat the lunges for 1 minute and complete 4 sets

Double Jump

Double jumps are a modern twist to the traditional squats as it incorporates a lunge and a jump, this will increase the heart rate and will allow you to feel the burn in your legs, abs and butt.

• Lower into a squat and rise up as if you are about to jump, but land into a lunge position with your right leg in the back
• Jump from the lunge position back into a squat continuously for about 50 seconds whilst alternating legs and do 3 sets in total.

The Tabata Drill

This exercise may be on you haven’t heard before, but it is an effective and simple to learn workout.

• Begin with your feet together and dumbbells at your shoulders
• Extend your arms fully whilst holding a dumbbell on each end and jab upwards. Whilst doing this jump with your feet outwards. Do this for about 20 seconds
• Take a 10 second rest, place your dumbbells at your chest and place your feet shoulder-width apart
• Jab the dumbbells across the body, whilst switching sides and continue for 20 seconds
• After a 10 second rest, repeat both of the drills for 5-6 rounds.